


Folk Songs and Gardens

by LeoBananaPhone0829



Series: The Bad Batch and The Reaper [5]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angsty Back Story, Attempted Murder, Childhood Memories, Developing Relationship, Magic, Multi, OC is a plant with extra steps, Original Alien Species - Freeform, Planet Naboo (Star Wars), Pretty Dresses, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:46:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23835604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeoBananaPhone0829/pseuds/LeoBananaPhone0829
Summary: If someone told Flora Grimm that becoming a commando meant a month long vacation on the planet of Naboo protecting a Naboo official's family, she would have signed up a long time ago.
Relationships: Clone Force 99 | Bad Batch/ Original Female Character
Series: The Bad Batch and The Reaper [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665424
Comments: 41
Kudos: 102





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> TW: ATTEMPTED MURDER, VOILENCE, BLOOD, angsty back story. Please be safe.

If someone told her that being a commando would mean a month of protection detail for a wealthy officials family from Naboo, she would have signed up a long time ago. The team stands in front of one Councilman Terth Bimello and his family. The two youngest boys, Chril and Arlo if Flora remembers correctly from the file, stare at the group of fully armored men in awe with their jaws dropped, clutching to their mothers skirts. They look so out of place, all scuffed and dirty amongst the luxury in the home.

The girl, Terra, stands next to her father with her hands clasped in front of her. She seems deceptively nervous. "Father, is this really necessary? They will just draw more attention to us. Look at them! Five men armed to the teeth and then some. How are we supposed to go about our day with them hovering?" She asks. 

Tech steps forward and removes his helmet. "We will do everything we can to remain in the background so that you can continue on with your daily lives, your safety takes priority. The threats on your life were not taken lightly by Senator Amidala." Ever the diplomat. 

"Sargent?" The woman, Vasha, turns to Hunter with a rather unimpressed look on her face. "The weapons and armor? Are they really nessecary?" She places her hands on her daughters shoulders. "What if you wore clothes that match the staffs? It would help you blend in a little easier?" Flora tries to imagine her team in Naboo clothes. She tries to imagine herself in them and she just can't. Too elegant, too flowy. 

Hunter takes off his helmet and the two boys gasp as they look at his tattoo. The woman simply purses her lips. "Whatever you decide, ma'am. You're in charge." 

"Do the rest of you have tattoos?" The youngest boy asks, Arlo. 

Flora smiles under her bucket. "Crosshair has one over his eye, Reaper has a lot but none on the face. Not yet at least." Tech replies to the curious boy.

"Please remove your helmets, you won't be needing them anymore." Vasha says and motions to the other three to take off their helms. Reaper waits until Wrecker and Crosshair reach up to remove theirs before she moves. She takes a deep breath and pulls it off and tucks it under her arm. Vasha looks each of them over before focusing on her, a small smile on her lips, she tucks a long piece of brown hair behind her ear. "You don't see many woman in your position. It's nice to see."

Flora smiles at her. "It's nice to be of service, ma'am." 

Arlo breaks apart from his family to stand in front of Wrecker. "Why are you so tall?" He asks wide eyed. 

Wrecker stares at the child with a nervous smile on his face. "I was just made that way." He shrugs as he tells the child. 

The middle boy steps up. "Are you all clones? You don't look like clones." This kid is already asking clone questions? This is going to be a long month.

The woman steps forward, "You can ask them questions later, your father will be leaving soon. If you will please excuse us." The woman calls to the children and they follow her out of the study.

The councilman turns towards them. "I must thank Senator Amidala for sending you all out so quickly. I will have staff set up a few guest rooms for you. And, I apologize for the children. They can be a bit of a handful. Arlo is curious, always has been. Chril and Terra are cautious. I guess they have to be. I still feel they are far too young to be so worried." He sighs, "But in this day and age it's better to be cautious than to be dead." He walks towards them. "I will ensure a proper wardrobe is set up for all of you, just to put my wife and Terra at ease. I will check in with you often, Sargent." He lays a hand on Hunters pauldron. 

"Of course, sir. Your family is safe with us." Hunter nods as the man walks past them and out of the room.

"Someone will be here in a few minutes to show you around. Thank you again." The man walks to his family. 

They watch him walk towards his family. 

Flora turns to the others. "At least the kids are cute." She breaks the strange, awkward silence. 

\--------------------------------

Tech can tell something isn't quite right with Reaper as they walk through the large estate, her eyes are flitting all over the place as if she's trying to take in everything at once. She keeps shifting her helmet from hand to hand and looks just generally uneasy. She has since they landed. "Are you alright?" He asks her. 

"Why is everything so extravagant? It's beautiful but none of it really serves a purpose. And I can't imagine the clothes they are going to put us in. And if something does happen, this estate is huge. The five of us can't cover that much ground if it's needed." She seems to be analyzing everything. 

"Nothing will happen, assignments like these are just a long vacation. They send us on them so we can decompress. It'll be fine." He grabs her free hand. He wants to kiss her but he knows it's not the right time for that. He wants to tell her that she will look beautiful in the extravagant clothes, she would look beautiful in anything. Or nothing. He shakes that thought from his head quickly. 

They follow the servant through the halls towards their rooms. Reaper walks near the woman who is just chatting away. She occasionally laughs or nods her head but he can tell that her head is somewhere else. He has never realized how much her armor masks her frame. The servant woman wears the usual draped dress. She is soft curves and gauzy silhouettes. Reaper is hard plastoid lines and dark grey bulk. It's interesting to see the two side by side, really being able to compare the two. They also look to be about the same age, Reaper may be a little younger but just barely. 

"Sargent, this is your room." The cheery young woman waves Hunter into a room all to himself. Hunter looks impressed and a little shocked. "I have two rooms for the rest of you. I wasn't told you had a woman with you so I will have to get a room ready for you, ma'am." The woman turns to Reaper.

"Oh, there's no need for that." Reaper tries to reply. 

"Yeah, she'll bunk with one of us!" Wrecker exclaims enthusiastically while throwing an arm around her.

The servant looks the two over. "If you're sure." Tech realizes she's smarter than she appears on the surface. Reaper gives her a smile. "I'll get you one of my dresses to change into. All that armor must be so uncomfortable. I think I have a darker one that will looks great with your hair color!"

Reaper doesn't even have time to object before the woman bounds off. Crosshair nudges her with his elbow. "Looks like you have a new best friend."

\----------------------------------

The dress is gorgeous. A deep burgundy color with gold flowers near the hem and on the sleeves. It's simple, it gathers in the waist and the shoulders are open much like the dress that the woman is wearing currently. "I've never really had a reason to wear it. You can keep it, it suits you much more than it suits me." The woman says. "My name is Ciba if you need anything." She leaves Flora standing in the middle of the room clutching the beautiful fabric to her chest. She runs a finger over the gold flowers, smiling.

_"Mother!" It bloomed! Come on!" She pulls at her mothers hand. The flower she had been watching for the past three days had finally opened up._

_"My apologies Maud, she's been watching a Heliotropium cordiformis grow over the last few weeks. I finally got one to grow. I must go." Her mother says to the woman with a kind smile on her face as she waves. Flora pulls her by the sleeve through the village excitedly. Her mother chuckles at the young girls excitement._

_"It's so pretty and shiny! I can't believe it bloomed!" Flora pushes through the garden gate and drops to her knees, her long skirt already covered in dirt. What's a little more? Her large eyes shine with excitement as she examines the gold flower. A bright yellow flower with metallic gold veining growing through the petals. It shines brightly in the sun._

_"Now do you see why it's named after the sun?" Her mother runs a hand through her daughters unruly hair._

_The girl nods in awe. "What will we do with it?" She asks, looking up at the woman._

_"It's needed for next weeks festival ritual. You will be in charge of growing the next plant. This lunar eclipse only happens once every twenty five years. Every family is responsible for a different plant. We are healers so we grow the Heliotropium. It will be used in the tea that The Elders drink." Her mother explains._

_"Will we get to see The Elders? What do they look like?" The girl's colorful eyes are full of curiosity, and wonder._

_"Your father will. He will serve the tea. We will be preparing for the celebration." The woman moves to another plant in the garden, using her magic to heal some of the damage done by the ash rabbits._

_"Why don't the bunnies eat that flower?" The girl asks, getting up from the ground._

_"I warded it. We can't have them snacking on this one. It's special. Come on, let's get you inside. It's almost time for dinner." The woman steers the girl into the house._

"Speck, are you in here?" Wrecker bursts through the door as she slides the dress over her head. 

"Can I help you?!" She shrieks as she tries to untangle the slippery fabric from around her face and arms. It's no use, she must have missed an arm hole or something. She's stuck with her arms in the airand most of her torso on display for all to see. She prays to whatever gods are above and below that the rest of the team isn't behind him getting a full view of her misfortune in the moment.

\--------------------------------

He wasn't expecting to see her standing her there trying to pull the dress on. He thought he would find her dressed and fine. Something must have distracted her. She shrieks at him but he doesn't catch what she says. He's too busy staring at the art that adorns her body. Flowers and Insects and plants of all shapes and sizes are spread all across her skin, meticulously placed. "If you are going to keep staring can you at least close the door behind you?!" She shrieks frantically, trying to pull the fabric away from her face, she seems to be stuck. 

He swallows nervously as he moves further into the room and closes the door behind him. He walks the few steps and closes the distance between them. He wants to touch her so bad, run his fingers over each leaf and thorn. Kiss her skin and see truly how warm and delicate it is. His hands hover over her hips, the black skin tight shorts she wears cuts over her hip bones. He thinks about how she needs to eat more, she's so skinny. He hesitates. What if he's too rough? Her breathing seems to even out as she stands with her hands above her head, she had managed to find a way to get her head untangled from the beautiful fabric. "Can I touch you?" He asks. 

She nods nervously, pulling the dress off of herself trying to reposition it to slip it on again. When his fingertips make contact with the soft skin of her sides she shivers. It's heavenly, her skin under his fingertips. She watches him as he traces a beautiful pink flower that sits right above her right hip bone. It must have hurt. 

She abandons trying to put the dress on, letting it slip to the floor, her attention now solely focused on him. It's a strange sensation, having someone watch your every move, incredibly intimate. 

Her hands drifts to his face, lightly running her fingers over the scarring. Caressing it, he realizes. She takes a step closer to him, pressing herself against him. His hands return to her hips as she stands on her toes. "Can I kiss you?" She asks, breathlessly. 

For once in his life he's speechless. He nods and tries to pull her even closer as their lips touch. Her hands are holding his face, it's perfect. Slow and sweet and warm. She's so warm, so perfect. When they break apart he's breathless. This woman knocked the breath from his lungs. How does something like that even happen? 

She bends and picks up the dress from the ground. "Can you help me with this?" She asks sheepishly. 

He laughs. "Sure, Speck."

She slips it over her head and he helps her guide it down over chest and waist. It seems to fall perfectly on her frame. She looks like one of the goddesses in the ancient paintings that Tech has talked about. She just needs a crown of gold leaves. 

She runs her hands over the material before smiling her crooked grin up at him. The door suddenly bursts open revealing Tech typing away on his vambrace. "Hey guys, Hunter needs us to-" He starts 

She throws her hands up in the air and groans. "Do any of you know how to knock?!" 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think. I'm a hoe for some good feedback, I'm sure you've figured that out though. Happy reading!

Lightning flashes throughout the room as Flora pulls the ancient spell books out of her bag. Tech and Wrecker sit close by, Tech looking over her shoulder. "If you want to look you can." She barely has to look over her shoulder with a light smile. He settles beside her. 

Thunder rattles the windows and Hunter flinches. Crosshair stands by the window and stares out into the stormy night. She flips through the book and skims the page. "What are you trying to learn now?" Tech asks quietly his head on her shoulder, always willing to learn something new. 

"There's a healing spell. It's old and incredibly complex, it can bring people back from the brink of death." She focuses on the incantation. "I've used it before. I figured I'd take another look at it."

"And you chose the night where the sky is falling apart to do that? A bit dramatic isn't it, Hag?" Crosshair asks. 

"That's the whole point, Sweetheart. A witch has to have her ambience." She flicks some magic through the air to prove her point. He just rolls his eyes and goes back to brooding by the window. "One day he's going to roll his eyes so hard they'll stick." She mumbles to herself. She gets a huff from Tech. 

"Who's on watch tonight?" Wrecker asks. 

"I'm pretty sure it's my turn." Flora blinks up at Hunter. 

"That sounds right" Hunter mumbles as lightning streaks overhead. He flinches again as the thunder cracks. "I'm going to bed." He hauls himself off the floor and trudges down the hall without another word. She looks to Tech for an explanation that's bound to come, she's been slowly learning each members quirks. 

"Storms have always been hard on him. I think it's the lightning that puts him on edge but the thunder really just hurts. his ears." She just nods and settles farther into the couch they are sitting on. It's not like she will be going anywhere soon. Tech cuddles further into her shoulder, she can tell he isn't going to bed anytime soon. She kisses the top of his head before going back to reading. 

Wrecker and Crosshair eventually make their way to bed, each of them kissing her on the cheek and forehead. It's strange, so domestic. It feels right. Tech settles his head in her lap as she pulls out a data pad to look at some of Crosshairs test results. She runs her fingers through his short hair as she reads. Soon soft snores come from him. It makes her smile. She really doesn't want to wake him up, knowing it will take forever for him to go back to sleep but she really wants to take a decent look at that spell. She needs all of her focus for it. 

She lets him sleep for a little while longer before gently nudging him awake. His bright eyes stare up at her sleepily. "Come on you, go to bed." She smiles softly. He grumbles out a fine before kissing her gently and disappearing to his and Crosshairs room.

She focuses on the pounding of the rain against the windows before she opens the book again and focuses on the spell. 

_Lightning flashes and rain pounds on the roof. She stands by the window in the kitchen, staring into the dark night, the garden illuminated by the lightning for a brief few seconds._

_"How did she find the book?!" Her father yells. "That magic is forbidden! How was she even able to perform the spell?! What have you been teaching her?"_

_"You think I've been teaching her?" Her mother seethes._

_Lightning flashes and she counts the seconds before the thunder rolls. Three seconds, three miles. Thats how it works right?  
_

_"How else would she learn healing spells?" Her father bites._ _She hadn't meant to stumble upon the book in her mothers trunk. It was just there, she had never said she couldnt read it, or practice a few of the spells. She has always let her before. No one had told her that those spells were only to be performed by The Elders, and they barely have the capacity too._

_The kid was sick. A boy, Callum, one of Ferox's friends. He had been brought to her mother by Maud, her mothers best friend, Callum's mother. An infection from a cut had gotten out of hand too fast. Her mother couldn't treat it in time. She couldn't stand the way Ferox looked at him. The despair in his eyes, the way he hung his head. She had to do something. So when her mother and Maud stepped out that night to discuss his treatment she grabbed the book. The spell wasn't that hard. It was similar to the one she had seen her mother preform before. She honestly doesn't know what the big deal was._

_"They have to know. What if she gets stronger? She'll be a threat to them. To all of us!" She flinches at the venom in his voice. She gnaws on her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. The pain grounds her, lets her focus on the rain and wind outside and not on the screaming._

_"She's our daughter! She didn't know. It was an accident. Please!" Her mother begs frantcally. She's terrified, of the man in front of her or of the implications of his words she can't tell._

_"No, they need to know. They will decide what happens to her." Her father says before he storms through the front door into the storm. The door blows in the wind for a moment before slamming shut._

_"He was going to die. I had to. He's just a kid. He didn't deserve to die like that. In that much pain." She continues to stare out the window. Flash, one, two. Thunder. The storm is getting closer. "He's too young."_

_Her mother sighs and moves to lay a hand on her shoulder. "You are so mature for your age, my sweet. Where did you find the spell?"_

_"That old book in your trunk. I have been studying whats in it. I want to help people. I don't want to be a warrior." Flora looks up at her mother. "I want to be like you"_

_"You know you can't. The first born child has to be a warrior. The Elders forbid you from being anything else." The womans heart breaks when she sees her childs face fall._

_"I'll stop training. I won't hurt people. Not when I know I can heal. I won't." Tears fill the girls eyes as she faces the window again. Flash, one. Thunder. Almost here._

_"Come sit with me, my dear." Her mother is back to the calm and collected state she is always in._

_\-----------------------_

_Maud watches as the lightning lights the mans path through the village. She knows exactly where he is going. She can't let them destroy the girl who saved her sons life. She looks over to her boy as he sleeps peacefully for the first time in over a week before she makes her descision. She slides on her cloak before stuffing her feet into her boots. She takes one last look at her son before she slips into the storm._

"Miss Reaper?" A small voice startles her. She jumps to her feet and almost draws her dagger when she sees who it is standing there. 

"Arlo, Sweetie. What are you doing awake?" The youngest of the Bimello family stands in his pajamas, barefoot. He flinches when the thunder cracks overhead. 

"I was scared, ma'am. I thought Wrecker was on watch tonight." He looks down at the polished floor. 

"Don't tell Sargent Hunter but I let Wrecker have the night off. I wanted to read." She smiles at the small boy. "Come, sit with me." She knows if she sends the boy back to his bed he will just stare at the ceiling terrified. She pats the cushion next to her as she sits down. She pulls a blanket off of the back of the couch and wraps the boy in it. 

"I grew up on a planet where it stormed all the time. They're scary for awhile but you get used to them." She shrugs and picks up her datapad with Crosshairs records. 

"What planet are you from?" The boy perks up. 

"Tithea. It's small. Very small. It's near Dathomir." She turns to the boy. 

"What other planets have you been too?" He asks excitedly. 

Flora has to think for a moment and compile a list of planets she has been too where she can recount relatively child safe campaigns. She definitely leaves out Felucia. That place was a nightmare. "When I was with the 104th Batallion we did a lot of rescue and relief missions, Aleen is a small planet, they had an earthquake and we went and dropped off all of the relief supplies and helped them get communications back up. We helped a group of Jedi off of Lola Sayu." She tries not to think about losing Echo and Longshot. Men she had worked with in both the 501st and 212th, Echo was a good friend of hers. By this point she was with the 501st. "Umbara is a spooky. The plants glow there." Her first assignment with the 212th. A real horror show. "Kiros, Bray is another planet that's always dark. I've been to Coruscant more times than I can count. And now I've been to Naboo!" She tries to remain excited when she finally trails off. 

"Do you ever miss your home?" He asks. 

Her heart sinks. "Sometimes. But I like my new home with my team." 

The boy looks up at her. "Are you like their wife?" 

She almost chokes. How does she explain a polyamorous relationship to a six year old? Holy hells. "Yea. I'm something like that." She tries to keep herself reigned in during the day when the family and staff are out and about, keep her touches at a minimum, she was hoping the boys were too, but if a child could figure it out they may need to rethink their approach. 

"You're a good wife to them. They like you." Arlo says. What? How is she supposed to respond to that?! This kid needs to go back to sleep. He settles into the couch and leans his head against her. "Can I sleep out here with you?" He mumbles. 

"Yes, you can. Get some sleep. I'll be right here the whole time." She smiles down at him as he mumbles a thank you. 

\---------------------------------

Hunter looks exhausted as he emerges from his room in the early morning hours. The storm kept him up for hours. He slips out of bed, he figures he can keep Reaper company before the others get up and she goes to nap for a few hours. That's how the last two weeks have gone, one of them pulls an all nighter on watch and then they go and sleep through the morning. 

The light of her data pad illuminates her face in an eerie blue, white color. There's a lump of blanket pressed next to her, Tech must have spent some of the night with her, he has been awfully clingy the last week. He must be bored. 

When she looks over to him she presses a finger to her lips and gestures down to the lump, now that he is closer he can see that it is actually a kid, which one he can't tell yet, definitely one of the boys. "He's been asleep for a few hours. He was scared, it was easier just to let him sleep." She whispers. "You look exhausted are you okay?" She straightens as much as she can, given the kid currently using her as a pillow. 

"Haven't been around a storm this bad in awhile." He tries to shrug it off but she know he can see right through it. 

"You haven't slept. Come here." She moves her and kid so there's enough room for him to sit. 

He knows better than to argue with her, walking across the room to sit next to her. She looks down at the kid and then at him before going back to her datapad, she seems to be looking over training footage. He is impressed by her willingness to learn as much as she can about them. He knows she has looked through all of their medical records by now, even if they are quite extensive and he doesn't understand a lot of what's in them. Her presence is soothing, he feels himself start to relax. He wants to know why. "Is it a spell?" He asks into the quiet of the warmly lit room, a small lamp glowing in the corner. 

"Hmm?" She barely looks up at him. 

"There's a bubble around you, peace, calm. I've never felt anything like it before. What is it?" He asks as she finally tears her eyes away from what she's reading. 

"It's a healers trick. Keeps patients calm. But, once it's cast it doesn't fade like normal magic. After my first major battle I casted it. Trying to calm dying men was rather difficult in a war zone. I figured if I couldn't save them I could make them feel safe for their last few moments." She looks down again with a pained expression. "Does it bother you?" She asks.

He sighs and intertwines their fingers. "When I'm around you everything is quiet. It's like I can finally breathe. I can relax." His thumb brushes against the flower on the back of her hand. 

The kid shifts and he freezes, he can finally see that it's the youngest boy leaning against her. She runs a hand lightly through his messy, brown hair. The same shade as his mothers. She smiles down at him. For the first time he is thinking about the end of the war, what will happen to them? She was trained by the Jedi, will she have to go back? Hide away in the temple until the next war? Will they let them live regular lives? He tries to imagine a life without his brothers and he can't. He won't know what to do without Crosshair and Wreckers bickering or Tech's useless factoids. He can't imagine a life without _her._ Will she stay with them if he asks?

"What are you thinking Sargent?" Her soft voice brings him out of his thoughts.

"What will happen after the war? It can't go on forever." He says looking down at their intertwined hands. 

"I was hoping to be a doctor on some Outer Rim planet. I'd have a cat that would like to lay in the sun on the porch, and I'd have a garden. The villagers would have called me a witch and they would whisper as I went to the market every week." She trails off with a smile before looking up at him. "And then I met you assholes. And now I have no kriffing idea what I'm going to do. I have been with you for two months? Maybe? And I have scrapped all of my horrible plans to become a spinster who talks to the frogs in her garden. I have no idea what's going to happen. But, the war can't go on forever. I know that much at least." She smiles at him. 

He takes a look at her and the boy again and he can see a few kids running around with bright brown eyes and messy green hair. He can see a future, one past the next mission. He smiles as morning light starts to fill the room. A real future. A decent one for him and his brothers. He will make it happen. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will ya bitch try and find a way to fix the accelerated aging process? Hell yea, clones deserve better. There was a little more angst in this. I will be laying it on thick in the next few chapters. It will get dark. Trigger warnings will be posted before every chapter. I want yall to be safe. Thanks for reading! Hope everyone is staying safe and sane!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW!: ABUSE! Stay safe!  
> Thank you for reading! Leave me some feedback! Your comments give me life!

The mid-morning sun is bright as she wanders through the garden. Technically it's a perimeter check, she'll meet Wrecker around the corner but she just wants a few moments of peace and quiet. Everything is in full bloom, the light wind off the lake carries the sweet scent of flowers. A massive estate on a lake. She thinks it's ridiculous. 

"Miss Reaper!" Chril's voice carries through the air. 

She turns to see the two boys running towards her. "Did you get bored with Crosshair?" She asks as they settle in to walk with her.

"He's so grumpy. He should hang out with Terra, they can be grumpy together." Arlo pouts. She can't help but laugh.

Chril suddenly grabs her hand and pulls her deeper into the garden. "I want to show you the bees! They look like the one on your arm!"

"I have to check in with Wrecker-" She starts. 

"He can wait a few minutes, it won't take long." The boy drags her to a flowering bush. 

\--------------------------

Wrecker is worried. Speck hadn't met him for perimeter check. What if something happened to her? He walks deeper into the garden, on edge. Is she okay? The image of her beaten and bloody flashes through his mind, the dark grey dress she is wearing today soaked with dark blood. He shakes the image from his mind as quickly as it had appeared. He has to find her.

A voice carries over the wind. They seem to be singing, a female voice. Maybe one of the gardeners? Maybe they have seen her? 

_"There will come a soldier_  
_Who carries a mighty sword_  
_He will tear your city down, o lei o lai o lord_  
_O lei, o lai, o lei, o lord_  
_He will tear your city down, o lei o lai o lord"_ The voice sings. It's a practiced song, a folksong it seems. He turns the corner to see Speck and the two boys running around. Speck has a large stick in her hand and a crown made of flowers on her head. She swings at Chril who blocks her blow with his own stick. 

_"There will come a poet  
Whose weapon is his word  
He will slay you with his tongue, o lei o lai o lord  
O lei, o lai, o lei, o lord  
He will slay you with his tongue, o lei o lai o lord" _She continues to sing. 

He's mesmerized by her, most of her arms and back are exposed, she looks like she belongs here in the garden, like a magical being. In a way she is. She finally turns and notices him, an easy grin spread across her face. She makes her way to her as she sings the next verse. 

_"There will come a ruler  
Whose brow is laid in thorn  
Smeared with oil like David's boy, o lei o lai o lord  
O lei, o lai, o lei, o lord  
Smeared with oil like David's boy, o lei o lai o lord" _She dances around him with a grace he can only dream of having. 

_"O lei, o lai, o lei, o lord_  
_He will tear your city down, o lei o lai_  
_Ohh"_ She finishes off the song with a bow and turns back to the boys, "I told you he would get worried, didn't I?" She eyes them. 

"Sorry, Wrecker. We wanted to show her the bees and then we got distracted." Chril looks down at his feet like he had been scolded. 

He melts, he can't help it they are adorable. He just sighs and shakes his head. 

"Alright, you two. I have to go finish the perimeter check like I came out here to do half an hour ago. We can play later." She smiles at the boys ruffling Arlo's hair as she passes by. 

"I like your crown." Wrecker blushes when she looks up at him. She's so beautiful. 

"Terra makes them and she taught Chril. Isn't it pretty?" The flowers are bright red and orange. They look amazing in her dark hair. She reaches up on her tiptoe and places it on his head. She laughs when she gets a good luck at him. "I like it." She places a hand on his face and leans in to kiss him. It's just as amazing the first time. He takes his hand. "Let's finish perimeter." 

\--------------------------

Tech walks through the shelves in the library. A library in someone's house. It's nuts. He runs his fingers along the spines of the books, oh yeah they have actual books. He plops into a chair, datapad in hand, as he scrolls to find the latest recording of Reaper explaining a thoracotomy. Wrecker had asked about the surgery and she launched into a detailed account on one she had done on a trooper in the 501st. He loves analyzing her voice, the cadence is different than anything he has ever heard, the lilt is gentle and musical. It's truly one of the most beautiful sounds he thinks he has ever heard. 

"Do you listen to her often?" A calm voice asks from across the room. Vasha comes out from around the corner a book in her hands. "She does have a peculiar accent. Where is she from?" The woman sits in a chair across from him. 

"My apologies, ma'am. I can go somewhere else if you want." He starts to rise to his feet. 

"No, that's alright. It's Tech. correct? I haven't really had a chance to speak with any of you these past few weeks. Tell me about your team." She places her book on the side table and clasps her hands in her lap. A practiced move, one he has seen many politicians use. 

He pauses the audio before he speaks. "We're commandos. All of us have defective qualities that make us different from regular clones. Officer Grimm isn't a clone of course. She is from Tithea, a small planet out near Dathomir. That planet mostly exports medicinal herbs. She came to us about two months ago now. She is a seasoned medic, certified field surgeon, best of the best." Gods, if she could here how he is singing her praises. 

The woman nods. "Arlo seems to have developed a fondness for her." She smiles. "Tell me more about Wrecker."

"Wrecker's mutations gave him superhuman strength, he is much larger than the regulation clones. He can be a bit bold and brash but he doesn't mean any harm, usually." He laughs at his brothers antics. 

The woman smiles, "Chril has been sitting with the skinny one while he studies. Cross?" 

"Crosshair is his full name. He has enhanced eyesight. With his batch they were experimenting with nutrient levels. He was the only one who survived. He was sickly as a cadet. He picked up his skill as a sniper rather quickly." He talks about his brother. He doesn't mention how the other cadets bullied him relentlessly, causing him to put up a bitter front. 

"Sargent Hunter. He looks like other clones." The woman observes. 

"He has heightened senses, he can feel electromagnetic signals. The genetic material of his batch were spliced with different species, he just like Crosshair, was the only survivor." He looks down at his hands as he prepares for her questions about him. He knows they are coming. 

"What about you?" She asks curiously. 

"I was the smallest in my batch, sometimes it just happens, the genes get programmed wrong, we come out." He pauses. "Wrong, defective. I was lucky. I came out much smarter than the others. I was more than proficient in electronics and technology. They could use me." He feels ashamed. He was supposed to be one of the best soldiers around, but he came out with bad eyes and he was so much weaker than the others. Part of him still believes that he is defective, that he's useless like the others used to say. 

"Officer Grimm, her code name is Reaper?" The woman asks, he's glad she didn't ask him anymore questions about himself. 

"Yes, ma'am." Tech looks out the window to where she is playing with the two boys, Wrecker sits off to the side wearing what seems to be a flower crown. She swings a stick at Chril and he blocks her blow. 

"She's good with the boys, does she have children of her own?" Vasha asks. 

Tech almost chokes on air. "No, she has younger siblings, she mentioned that she raised them for the most part." 

"I can see the older sister in her, that makes sense." She smiles as she stands and moves to the window to watch them. "Arlo will miss her when you all are done with this assignment." 

He smiles down at the scene playing out below him. She looks so happy here, so vibrant, like she belongs in this house, on this beautiful planet. 

\-------------------------------------

Flora hates nights like this where her mind can't stop reeling for no reason. She pads silently through the dark halls, taking extra care to ensure her steps are quiet. She really doesn't need Crosshair to tell her to go back to bed. She slips out of a door and ends up walking barefoot through the garden. 

_"Shh, don't cry sweet girl." She picks the baby up from her crib as she whimpers. "I know, Mother will be back soon. For now it's just me and you." She moves through the cottage to the kitchen where she prepares a bottle. She gently bounces the child as she eats. "Let's take a walk, yeah? Let me show you some plants. Maybe the lightning bugs are out tonight?" She gathers the baby and wraps her in an extra blanket just in case before walking out the backdoor._

_She walks barefoot through the dew covered grass. "Mother has been trying to grow Sweet Blood Petal. She isn't doing a very good job. I've been healing it for her when she isn't looking. Don't tell her that though. Or Father, he will definitely get mad. He will go on and on about The Elders."_

_The baby girl starts to doze off again as she walks to the plant she has been caring for. "See? She's trying so hard. She has been so stressed out lately. Ever since you two came along. Good thing she has me. Hopefully Father will be back soon, then everything should settle down again." She's talking to herself at this point in time, Fleur finally asleep in her arms._

_She goes inside and lays the child back down in her crib before making her way to Ferox's crib checking on his sleeping form. She smiles before she settles in the ancient rocking chair in the corner of the room._

Flora walks through the greenhouse, she thought she saw one of them earlier, it was in horrible shape. If she takes one thing with her it will be this plant. She rushes to it when she finally spots it. The blood red flowers look dull and lifeless. "Oh, I know my sweet. I'll take care of you. I can fix this."

_Her father paces the length of the kitchen as he speaks. "If I catch you healing again I will report you to The Elders."_

_"You'll report me to a bunch of all powerful made-up hermits?" Flora sasses back, leaning against the counter._

_Her father stalks towards her until they are pressed chest to chest. "You need to learn your place! You will not disrespect them like that!" He yells._

_She shoves at the man. "Oh. I need to learn my place?" She laughs. "My place was chosen for me before I was even born! I know where my place is and it's not here!" Her words are laced with venom._

_"That's how it has always been and it's how it will always be!" Her father growls at her._

_She takes another step back. "I will not let you decide for me."_

_"You don't have a choice. I will not let you destroy what we have worked so hard to build." She can feel the anger radiating off him as his hands slowly glow to life. He stalks towards her, hands outstrectched magic sparking. He swings a fist at her and she blocks it easily. He isn't using his emotions correctly, instead of funneling them towards his magic he is letting them completely take over his entire being._

_She lets the magic flow through her, the raw fear and panic. When he swings at her again she blocks it with a shield. He snarls and rears back for another hit. She takes this opportunity to duck out from under him and bolt out the back door into the rain. Her bare feet carry her through the forest and into a clearing. She knows he will come after her. Maybe not tonight but soon. She falls to her knees as she takes a breath, letting the choked sobs finally wrench past her throat. It's cold. Each rain drop feels like a dagger as the wind whips around her. She can't stay out here. The storm will get worse, it'll dip below freezing soon. She staggers to her feet and makes her way into town._

_\-----------------------_

_The knocks cut through the storm. Maud places her book down and moves to the door, who could be out there at such an hour? When she opens the door she is shocked to see Levana Grimm's oldest daughter standing there soaking wet, and not wearing any shoes. She looks miserable. Levana had hinted towards problems with Flora recently. "Flora, are you alright?" She asks as she draws the girl inside._

_"He used magic against me. I ran. I don't think I can go back while he's there." She pulls her arms tighter around her._

_"That asshole, he knows the Warriors Code. Come on, let's get you warmed up." She wraps an arm around the small girl and guides her through the warm house._

_She is infuriated, she wants to kill him herself. Torrin Grimm is known for being a strictly by the book man. His contact with The Elders has made it worse over the years. Now, he seems to be losing his god damned mind. She gives the girl something to change into and sets up the couch for her to sleep on. "Get some rest. I'll be right back." She lays a hand on the girls shoulder before stepping into the kitchen. She rummages through the drawers before pulling out a comm link. She clicks it on and prays to whoever is listening that he picks up._

_The torgruta who answers makes her smile. "Maud, is everything alright? It's not like you to call like this, what time is it there?" He asks as he crosses his arms._

_"I have an issue. There's a child. The Elders are targeting her for her abilities, her father tried to kill her tonight and I doubt he will stop until she is dead. She's strong, she can heal and fight. I didn't know who else to call, she needs off the planet." Maud speaks lowly._

_"I see. I will discuss it with a few people and get back to you as soon as I can. Try to keep her safe until then. Give me a few days." The man nods to her as he hangs up._

_She walks back into the main room to see the girl fast asleep. She just needs to keep her alive._

"You see that wasn't so bad was it?" She sets down the pair of clippers and cleans up the leaves and petals she snipped off. "A little haircut and some healing and you will be just fine." She let's the magic surround the plant, watching as the sad leaves perk up. She smiles softly before picking up a watering can and dousing the poor thing. "There. Good as new. I'll come check on you tomorrow." She sighs as she looks around. Maybe she will come out here in a bit after everyone is up and awake. Maybe she will drag Tech in here and have him look at the Tithean native, he would like that. For now, she will go back to her room and try to sleep. She takes one last look around before walking out. 

\------------------------

The ship lands on the other side of the lake, the team moving around the ship arming themselves. This would be easy, take out the family and collect as much information as they can and get out. They crowd around a datapad as the leader goes over the plan one more time, going over the security system again. There should only be a couple of guards by the front and back doors, from what they gathered from their intel. It almost seems too easy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started drawing Flora if anyone is interested in seeing what she kind of looks like. Thanks for stopping by! Stay safe and sane!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW!: BLOOD, DEATH there's some questionable magic in this one too. I'm not sure how it will be received so I'll just toss it in here.   
> I wrote this all in one go! Woohoo! Thanks for reading! I love feedback. Let me know what you liked or what I could work on.

"We have company." Crosshair's voice crackles through the comm.

Flora wrestles out of Wreckers arms and reaches for her comm. "ETA? Friendly?" 

"At this time of night. No. We have fifteen minutes." Cross sounds tense. 

Flora bounces to her feet before yanking off her night gown and pulling on her blacks. "Wreck. Come on. Up." 

Wrecker slowly comes to life as she is throwing on her armor. "Speck?" 

"We have an issue. I'll go get the others, get ready." She slides on her helmet before bolting out the door, she skids down the hall to Hunters room and punches in the code. "Sargent, we have a problem." It's then she notices the second lump wrapped around Hunter.

Tech blinks at her as he sits up. "Wha-"

"There's a team across the lake. Assassins. Cross spotted them, we have about twelve minutes." The adrenaline seems to hit him all at once, he's grabbing his goggles off the night table and rushing past her. 

"How many?" Hunter is up and sliding his armor on. 

"Seven and two IG-88s. At least." She checks her blaster as she talks, by the time he's armored the others are standing in his room, weapons in hand. 

"Crosshair, stay there. Keep on 'em." Hunter snarls into his comm. He turns to the team. "Reaper, go grab the boys. Take them to a room with only one exit and entrance. Wrecker, you're with me. Tech, Vasha and Terra. Take them somewhere quiet with enough cover. You two, don't take them to the same place. Split them up. Go!" Flora nods and takes off towards the boys' rooms. 

She listens to the comm chatter as Tech gets Vasha. She turns down the hall and bursts into Chril's room. He is already looking out the window. "I saw them land." He says.

"My job is to keep you and your brother safe. I need you to stay by my side. No matter what happens, stay by me." She grabs the boys hand and pulls him to the next room where her brother is. Arlo is still fast asleep. "Arlo, buddy. I need you to wake up." She nudges the boy awake. He startles when she sees her in full armor. "We gotta go. Come on." She pulls him from bed. 

"What's going on?" Arlo rubs his eyes as he looks up at her. 

"We have to get you somewhere safe. My job is to keep you both safe. Come on. We have to run." She looks out the door just in case before she has the boys run ahead of her. 

"Cross, how much time?" She grits through the comm. 

"Eight minutes." He replies. 

"How's the greenhouse sound? Only one way in and out." She asks the boys as they make their way down the hall. 

"We can hide under the benches!" Chril exclaims. They turn right down the hall before making their way through the kitchen. 

"I have Vasha and Terra, headed to the library." Tech's voice bounces around her helmet. 

"I've got both boys, we're headed out to the greenhouse." Reaper replies. 

"Keep your heads down. Don't do anything stupid." Hunter replies. 

"Yeah! That's for us!" Wrecker laughs enthusiastically. 

She guides the boys through the door to the garden and towards the greenhouse. "Almost there, doing great." She calls to them. They scramble inside and duck under a set of benches, she moves plants around, creating a barrier so they can't be seen. "Me and the boys are in position."

She stands by the door, blaster raised. She listens to Hunter and Crosshair coordinate their attack. She tries to slow her breathing and heartrate. Time seems to stand still for several minutes. She checks on the boys before going back to the door. "ETA one minute. Get ready." Crosshair says. She worries about him for a brief moment. He isn't suited up like the rest of them are. She listens as the first shots are fired off with bated breaths. 

"Alright boys. Just stay there and stay quiet. Everything will be okay." She says to them, she crouches near the door with her blaster raised, she can see the garden through the crack in the door. She counts her breaths, that's one thing about a helmet, her breaths seems to echo all around her, it's all she can hear sometimes. 

"Both droids are down, as well as four of the others." Hunter relays. 

"You have two coming your way, Reaper." Crosshair says.

She flicks the safety off on her blaster and takes a deep breath. "Just stay there, boys." She whispers. She hears them before she sees them, they seem to be arguing. A male and a female voice.

A Rodian and a Twi'lek turn the corner. "They took out both assassin droids and four of the top assassins in the parsec. I think we were lied too when we took the job." The Twi'lek woman says. 

"Look, let's just get this job done and then we will be free to go." The Rodian says. 

There's a crash behind her, the sound of pottery breaking. She curses under her breath as she turns to look over her shoulder. Chril is there, halfway out from the bench. "Hey, what was that?" The Twi'lek asks. 

"It came from over here!" The Rodian calls. Can this get any worse? Honestly, it's like a bad action movie. 

Reaper motions for the kid to get back under the bench before she dives under one herself. She thanks the gods she is so small in this moment. The two assailants push the door open and make their way around. She puts a finger up to where her mouth would be as she tries to keep the two boys calm. _Just don't make anymore noise, please._ She silently begs. 

The Twi'lek stops. "Well what do we have here? Two little kiddies hiding? That won't do any good. Come on out." Her words are full of malice. 

Reaper rolls out from under the bench and into a crouch as she sends a shot at the Rodian first. He goes down without a problem. "Touch them and you'll end up worse than him." She stands as she points her blaster at the woman's chest. 

"Oh, how cute. Are you their babysitter?" She bares her teeth in a nasty grin. She eyes up the woman standing across from her. She pulls a blaster from her belt. "Drop it and I will make your death nice and easy, Clone." How does this woman think she's a clone? Her voice gives it away, doesn't it? Sure, she has a modulator in the way but damn. The woman takes the moment to launch herself at Reaper. She grapples for the woman's blaster, trying to get it away from the boys' direction. A kick connects with her lower stomach. Did she just attempt a crotch kick? That's low, even for a bounty hunter like her. 

The world seems to stand still when a shot goes off. A yelp follows. The woman laughs and Reaper takes that moment to slam her head against the bench next to her, she hits the floor like a rock. "Reaper, Reaper. Respond." Hunter's voice cuts through the static filling her head as she slides over to the boys. Chril has Arlo perched in his lap, hands pressed against a wound in the smaller boys abdomen. 

"Arlo's been hit!" She shakily replies as she tries to gauge how bad it is. 

"We're on our way. The threat has been eliminated." Hunter crackles but she can barely hear him. 

"Please, help him!" Chril cries out, tears in his eyes. 

Arlo coughs and blood drips from his mouth. He isn't going to make it. This damage is too much to heal. Not without- She looks to the woman on the ground next to her, her chest rises and falls unsteadily. She looks back to the dying boy next to her. 

_"Mother!" She screams as she slides through the mud next to her. There was an attack on the village, their rivals to the south. Her mother lays on the ground, blood seeping through her thick skirts and into the mud below._

_She looks to the body next to her, the man is young, maybe a few years older than her. He has a gash across his chest, she can the bones underneath. Her mother reaches for her face, her bloodstained hand gently strokes her cheek. Black blood coats her teeth as she speaks. "My child." She coughs spraying blood. "I want you to use my life force to save him. He's so young." Her eyes glisten with tears as she regards the man._

_"I can't do that. It's-" She starts._

_"Forbidden, my dear. I know. Please, he doesn't deserve to die. It's alright. It'll be alright." Her mother nods encouragingly before another bout of coughs racks her. "Hurry. I won't be around much longer." Her mother guides her back to the man._

_"The spell is easy, you've studied it before." She laughs, "And don't say you haven't. I've seen the book under your bed. When you leave you have to take it with you. It is a family heirloom, it's almost a thousand years old at this point." Her voice is growing hoarser._

_Flora tears the rest of the mans shirt off and dips her finger into the blood pooling on his chest as she begins to draw the symbols around the wound. He hisses and watches with wide eyes, he can't seem to speak, either too weak or in too much pain, or maybe both. She turns to her mother and draws the same symbols on her exposed skin. She closes her eyes and takes a steadying breath before focusing on her mother. "He's going to kill me." Flora says with tears in her eyes._

_"Maud will get you away from here. It will be okay, Sweet Girl." Her mother takes her hand. "Now for the incantation and transfer of energies. It will be okay. We will meet again, I promise." Flora leans forward as her mother speaks and presses their foreheads together. "You'll be okay. The twins will be fine." She gasps._

_She has to do this now before it's too late for either of them. She takes a steadying breath before she begins the incantation. The energy flows through her. It feels so different, so much stronger. She places her hand on the mans chest and the other on her mothers, right above their hearts. She is nothing but a conduit for their life energy, transferring from one body to another. She watches as the mans wound closes up. His gasping breaths become more even and there's color back in his cheeks. He watches as she drains the rest of her mothers life force into him._

_Flora sits back on her heels once the spell is complete. She looks at the man. "Go, get out of here. Please." She begs him. He stands wearily on his feet and takes off in the direction of his village._

_She turns back to her mother. She almost looks peaceful, her hands resting at her sides, hair blowing in the wind. She tells herself she is just sleeping in the meadow like she sometimes does in the spring. She swallows around the lump in her throat as she stands. Her hands shake as silent tears drip down her face. She has to run, find Maud. Maud will help her._

She looks between the woman and the kid again. No, she can't let Arlo die. She takes a breath as she takes off her helmet and gloves. She can hear the others trying to comm her but she has to focus on this. She reaches over and gently lifts the boys shirt enough to dip her fingertips in his blood. Life magic, ancient, the oldest magic there is, only the strongest can do the spells without being torn apart, their very life force being shredded apart, never to used again. 

She takes a moment to steady herself before reaching over to the woman and drawing out the symbols on her green skin. Her hands shake as she finishes, she's taking another's life. It's no different than pulling a blaster trigger but it feels so much more heavy. She turns to the boy just as the door flies open. Her team freezes when they see her, blood on her fingers. 

She blocks them out as she draws the symbols around the boys wound. She speaks with a shaky voice. "Life magic is forbidden. You take the life force of one to replenish the life force of another." Her fingers shake almost as much as her voice. She takes a deep breath before beginning the incantation. She lays her hand on the boy and the other on the woman. "I am just a conduit for the energies. Most witches would be torn apart in this process." Her words leave her mouth without even thinking. She doesn't know why she's explaining the spell like she is, maybe she just needs to tell someone. She finishes the incantation and the energy glows brightly between the two bodies. When the spell is done she collapses to her hands and knees, breaths heaving. 

\-----------------------------------

Hunter has no idea what he just walked into. Red coats her fingers, from the smell it has to be blood, the boys blood. She turns to the boy and starts to trace the same symbols that are on the woman to the boys skin. "Life magic is forbidden. You take the life force of one to replenish the life force of another." Her voice sounds distant as if she is placing herself away from the current situation. He looks to the others as she works. Tech has wide eyes and hasn't taken off his helmet yet, Crosshair stands stock still, no emotion on his face as he watches. Wrecker is shocked to all hells and back. "I am just a conduit for the energies. Most witches would be torn apart in this process." She continues the incantation. The energy that fills the room is sparked with something else. It's deeper. It's stifling and Hunter finds himself feeling like he's being smothered. Just when he thinks he can't take it anymore she pulls her hands from the two. She collapses on her hands and knees, breaths heaving. 

"Wrecker, take the boys back to their mother and sister. Cross, watch the door." Hunter orders. Wrecker scoops both of the terrified boys into his arms and exits into the night. 

"What was that?" Tech asks. 

Grimm tries to speak. "I was almost killed because of that spell." Her voice is weak. "I couldn't let him die. Not like that. His brother was begging, normal magic wouldn't have worked." She chokes out. "He would have died." 

Hunter has no idea how to respond to that. Tech luckily butts in. "It's alright. The kid is okay, the bounty hunter is dead. She would have been killed anyway." He moves to comfort her but she shies away from his touch. She sits up and brings her hands closer to her face to inspect them. She reaches for her neck in a panic. Tech catches her hands gently. "Hey, don't do that." He looks to Hunter who just shrugs. He turns back to the woman. "Let's get you inside. Terra got a nasty cut from some flying debris. It may need some stitches." Hunter realizes Tech is trying to distract her. 

The distant look clears from her eyes. She takes a glance down at her hands one more time before standing. "Where is the injury?" She asks. And just like that, they have her back. 

"On her arm. Nothing too bad. It's pretty deep." Tech picks up her helmet as he stands with her by her side. 

Hunter needs to know what happened to her. This spell seems to be connected to what happened to her throat. He has a feeling it isn't a pretty story. She waves Tech on before she pauses to stand in front of him. "I think you've unlocked my tragic backstory. We can discuss this later, Sargent." She sounds so serious. So much like the other officers they have worked with. She's masking her feelings, he realizes. She's done this before, it's a practiced move. She takes one last look at the body of the Twi'lek woman before she turns and walks through the garden. He stands and watches the sunrise for a moment before following after her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So someone requested more interactions between her and the boys, next chapter I promise. Thank you for reading! Stay safe and sane out there!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all this part was only supposed to be like two chapter.   
> Anywho thanks for stopping by! Leave me some feedback. The new part will be up soon, I've already started writing it.

She leans against the wall with her arms crossed, helmet placed by her boots. She stares at the piece of plastoid. The red and white striping on it still looks too fresh. She idly wonders how hard it would be to paint some sort of skull onto it to match everyone but Tech. She watches the last of the Naboo authorities leave after exchanging words with Vasha. The boys and Terra are huddled on the couch under a blanket still shaken up but otherwise okay, she stitched Terra's arm back together earlier. Everyone is fine. Everything is fine, she tries to tell herself. She tries not to notice the looks her team keeps throwing her, looking at her like she's an open wound, raw and bleeding. She sighs and pushes herself off the wall and scoops up her helmet. She needs some space. 

She wanders down a hallway taking random turns and going up a winding staircase, when she has walked far enough she slowly slides down the wall into a sitting position. She stares blankly at the painting hanging on the wall. The woman is in a beautiful light blue gown while reading, it's an odd painting, maybe it was an ancestor of the family. She just stares as her mind slowly goes blank, the thoughts and memories slipping away. She's exhausted, tired of the memories, of pretending that everything is perfectly fine. So she just stares at the wall in front of her. 

\--------------------

Hunter is concerned. Grimm just walked away without saying a word, her face blank and empty, none of her usual mirth anywhere to be seen. She seemed to just be going through the motions when she was stitching up Terra. She looked defeated as she looked the two boys over for anymore injuries, tired, bone tired, like she has been holding onto something for too long. 

He had sent the Bimello family back to bed, even if they weren't going to be sleeping, he needed them out of the way for now. He combs the halls looking for their medic, the early morning sun shining through the windows, Crosshair silent beside him. Tech and Wrecker went to look elsewhere for her, checking out the garden and down by the lake. "She's not there, Hunter." Tech sounds over the comm. 

"She's still in the house then. Come back." Hunter says into his comm, he sighs. 

"You think she was kicked off the planet for doing a spell like that?" Crosshair asks. 

"I think that spell almost took her life at one point, whether it was the spell or someone else. I think she will have to tell us." Hunter growls. It really isn't any of their business. He stops when he hears footsteps behind him, two sets. He turns, hand ghosting over his knife just to see Tech and Wrecker. 

"She has to be around here somewhere. There aren't that many places to hide." Tech says. 

Hunter remains silent as he tries to sense her. He can tell that she's close, that bubble surrounding her seems to be reaching out to him. He turns down a hallway and sees her. She's staring blankly at a large painting, gloved hands resting on her knees, her bucket sitting beside her. 

\----------------------

She doesn't look up when her team comes into view, just keeps staring ahead. It's easier somehow. Not to look at them, if she looks at them she doesn't know what will happen. They all sit around her, Crosshair and Tech across from her, Hunter and Wrecker on either side of her, their shoulders touching hers. "It started when I found a book in my mothers old trunk. I still have it. It's a family heirloom, it's only about a thousand years old but the magic inside of it is ancient. Tens of thousands of years old. The Elders forbid anyone from studying anything that old, they wanted to be the only ones strong enough to use it. The Elders were a group of people, they used life magic to keep themselves alive for almost a thousand years, or so the rumors said. My father was one of the only ones to have contact with them, each generation they chose someone to deal with them, they were the only ones to have any contact with them. There was an elder from each of the original villages." She tilts her head up to stare at the face of the woman in the painting. "My mother came from a very prestigious line of healers. People came from all around to be treated by her." She finally meets Crosshair's steely eyes. His expression is surprisingly neutral. "The Elders decreed that the first born in every family were to be warriors, no matter what. I was stronger than the other children my age. I soon became stronger than most of the warriors in our village. I was able to complete spells that even the strongest of them couldn't. Everything came so easily. I was more interested in my mothers work. Watching her, I realized where my place should have been. I started learning and practicing healing spells on my own. I treated the plants in the garden and a few small animals. My mother, of course found out but she didn't discourage me. She taught me a little bit a time, when my father was away.

"A boy from the village came to my mother, he was sick, we were just watching him die at that point. An infection had gotten out of control, got in his bloodstream, he had two days, if we were lucky. There wasn't anything my mother could do for him at that point. He was the same age as my brother, the way he looked at the boy. When I thought everyone was out or resting, I pulled out the old book to look through it, get my mind off the dying boy in our living room. I found a spell. It could heal almost anything, it was easy compared to the others in the book. I figured I'd take the chance. The spell worked and the kid survived. He became one of Ferox's best friends. My father caught me, I remember standing at the kitchen window and listening to the nastiest storm of the season roll in. My mother was terrified when he said he was going to turn me in to The Elders, that was one of the only times I had ever heard her yell, she was calm and collected. My father left right as the storm was on top of the village, someone stopped him, the boys mother, Maud. I don't know how she did it, he didn't return until late the next night. 

"It escalated further when he caught me helping my mother with a patient. It was a girl, she had fallen off a roof. Me and my mother reset her arm and I healed it. It was a simple break. He found out and went after me. He attacked me using his magic" She hears a gasp but doesn't look to see who it was. "My mother had become friends with Maud by this point in time. I ran to her, told her everything. I was standing in the almost freezing rain, barefoot, completely soaked to the bone. She let me stay, didn't tell my family where I was. I'm pretty sure she was the one who contacted the Jedi. I think she had a friend. I didn't really ask many questions. A few days after that the village was attacked, our rivals to the south. I ran out to help, whether it was fighting or healing, I just had to help. My mother was laying there in the mud, she was bleeding out." A few tears escape and stream silently down her face. "Next to her there was a guy from the other village, he was half dead, staring at the sky, there was so much blood coming from his chest. She told me to save him. Kept saying that he wasn't much older than I was. That was her dying wish, to save someone else. I used the spell, transferred what little life force she still had to him. She was trying so hard not to cry, to be strong in her last moments. She was reassuring me that the twins would be fine without us. That I needed to leave, grab the old book and leave, get as far as I could. After she was gone I went back to Maud. 

"She contacted her Jedi again. In the days that followed the attack we helped clean up the aftermath. They held funerals for the ones who died, I watched my mother be lowered into the crypts as I hid from my father, if he knew I was there he would have tried to kill me again. I couldn't leave without saying goodbye, I ventured into the crypts alone, it was evening. I knew my father would be busy taking care of the twins, so I risked it. He followed me down and after I lit the candles he waited. Someone had witnessed the spell and told him. The Elders ordered him to kill me." She reaches for the glass dagger on her belt. She gently unsheathes it, "This is another family heirloom, on my fathers side. It was supposed to be bestowed to the first born after their training was complete. I remember how cold it felt, how it glittered in the candlelight. How it clattered to the ground as my blood dripped against the smooth stones." 

She takes a breath before continuing. "I somehow got out of the crypts. As I was stumbling through the village I noticed the whispers and gasps. No one dared to help me. This had happened before, a child became too strong and they were ordered to be killed, it was usually done when they were younger, less of a threat. There was a man in dark robes, he caught me as I collapsed. I woke up on a ship travelling back to Coruscant, my neck being cauterized shut by a med droid." She turns the blade in her hands a few times. "The Jedi took me in. I was able to study the magic I wanted too. I started shadowing healers. I took a few classes with some of the other padawans. I learned how to fight. Got my ass handed to me every chance I got." A small smile pulls at her mouth, "I owe them my life." She slides the knife back in place and takes a breath, letting the tears stream down her face. She feels so much lighter, being able to tell someone about what happened to her after all this time. 

No one speaks. The silence seems to stretch on and on. "Holy shit." Crosshair murmurs. She tries to hold in the bark of laughter but she can't. Tears are still soaking her cheeks but she can't help but laugh at his dumb founded face. The others look at her like she's insane. Maybe she is, but it feels so good right now. Being free of her own story. 

"I thought our childhood was fucked." Hunter says. She can't help but laugh harder, she's howling and doubled over at this point in time. 

\-----------------------------

So maybe Reaper has lost her mind, maybe she has finally snapped. Tech blinks at her. She laughs and laughs, the tears still drip down her face but she just laughs. Wrecker seems to understand first. "Do you feel better?" He asks her. 

"You're the first ones I've told since it happened, I feel free." What she says shocks him. How could she keep that all in? And for so long? She is an enigma. Something that would have destroyed others, turned them bitter and angry, made her powerful, she kept taking in knowledge, kept learning. He thought he had her figured out, knew all of her layers from observing her. She was deeper than any of them ever knew, she hid behind that lopsided grin with such ease. He could only imagine the things that swirled around in her head. 

"Why did you keep it?" Crosshair asks her, gesturing to the knife. 

"It's the only piece of home I have left. That and the book." She gently touches her neck. "I almost chucked it in a river on Felucia. Then I remembered the things that lived on Felucia." She shutters at the memory, Felucia is a nasty planet. 

"Throw it in the lake!" Wrecker exclaims. 

Her eyes widen at the exclamation. "I never thought of that." She mumbles as she takes the dagger in her hand again. She stares at it, emotions fly across her face as she stares at it. "Kriff it. Let's throw it in the lake." She looks to Wrecker who cheers. 

\---------------------------

She stands at the edge of the clear lake, watching the early morning sun glint off of it's surface. The team stands a ways behind her. She stares at the blade, the delicate markings on the handle, the coat of arms from her fathers family. She feels its weight in her hand, the smooth, cold glass. 

She takes a breath as she takes a hold of the blade. This is it, if she does this she can't get it back. Does she want it back? No, she can just steal one of Hunter's vibroblades to use for protection on the lower levels. She raises her hand staring out at the lake. She rears back her hand and throws the blade as hard as she can, she watches it arc and glitter in the sun before it disappears beneath the surface of the water. She cheers. Wrecker joins in, he picks her up and spins her around as she laughs. 

\--------------------------

Hunter watches the woman throw the knife. It sails through the air and lands with a splash. And then she stares at it for a moment. He thinks she might break down, regret the choice to throw a precious Tithean glass dagger into a random Naboo lake. But, then she's cheering and then Wrecker is joining in, picking her up and spinning her around. He releases all of the tension in his body with a sigh. He was expecting this to go so much worse. Wrecker somehow gets her to ride on his shoulders as they continue to hoot and holler. 

She looks so much better, so much lighter, so much younger. Someone finally knows her story. She's finally free. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was definitely a challenge. The next part will be more interactions, I'm tired of writing heavy stuff. It'll be fun and fluffy. Thanks for stopping by! Stay sane and safe out there!


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